The Amazing Spider-Man (1996-2004 TV Series)
The Amazing Spider-Man was a live-action adventure/drama television series created by Michael Dee, which premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company on September 15, 1996. The series was based on Marvel Comic’s Spider-Man character and franchise. Peter Parker is a graduate student at ESU in New York City when he is bitten by a radioactive spider and chooses to fight crime as his super alter-ego Spider-Man. Conceived as a companion series to the animated series which premiered 2 years earlier, it shared writing & technical staff and story ideas. The series was produced by 3-Dee Productions, in association with Marvel Entertainment. Along with creator Michael Dee, the series was executive produced by Kathleen McCormick, Jonathan L. Dee, Avi Arad and Stan Lee. Michael Dee’s older brother Jonathan Dee directed the pilot episode. The series' theme music, composed by David Leon, was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1998. One of the first serialized prime time television series The Amazing Spider-Man consisted of standalone episodes with on-going story arcs that could last for years at a time. The series was turned down by NBC, ABC and CBS (which aired the first live action Spider-Man series) but FOX (which was preparing to air an animated series) agreed to a pilot movie. With the live action film rights in litigation, Marvel, FOX and Dee agreed to create an alternate universe with a young man becoming Spider-Man in the “real world” with super villains inspired by the Marvel characters following. Timed to be released with the animated series, production delays, and injunctions regarding the 20th Century Fox and Carolco’s lawsuit forced a delay for 1 and ½ years. Shortly before production began the prospects of a competing film series was ruled out and the format changed to incorporate the original Spider-Man universe with several additions created by the initial work. The first season received generally positive reviews, and performed excellent in the ratings. The first season was originally planned for a 22-episode run, but was extended after FOX executives read the Series Bible and Michael Dee’s cost cutting plans for production, allowing 4 additional episodes for a total of 26 per season. The Amazing Spider-Man has been nominated for several industry awards, and won the 1996 People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama. All eight seasons have been released on DVD, and as of 2015 all eight seasons have been released on Blu-ray Disc. The series has been aired internationally. In 2011, a reunion mini-series was broadcast by FOX, which saw almost the entire cast returning. Marvel's Civl War was based on the storyline by Mark Millar and directed by Michael Dee. Season Synopsis Season 1 The first season follows the origin of Spider-Man and the introductions of several villains including the Green Goblin, Kraven, Sandman, Kingpin, Venom and Shocker. Peter Parker must contend with the problem of saving the world, going to classes and taking care of his Aunt May. M.J. Watson, changed into a Lois Lane like reporter, acts as Peter’s foil and then love interest and recurring villain Kingpin (Wilson Fisk) sets off the typical six part story arc by framing Spider-Man for murder. As is always the case (save for Season 8) the season finale ended with a cliffhanger. Season 2 The main theme for season 2 was Spider-Man’s sophomore year as a crime fighter. Despite being older and wiser, he was still conflicted with learning that he’s to become a parent, his growing neo-genic problems and the accidental death of his unborn child by the Shocker. The six part mini-series was based on the "Neo-Genic Nightmare" storyline from the comics and previously adapted by the animated series. Season 3 Season 3 saw big changes in Spider-Man’s world. After the defeat of the demon, N’astirh and New York restored, Spider-Man must contend with the aftermath. New recurring characters include Preston Harrad (who will eventually headline Spider-Force) and Kaine (played by Serge Dee). The comic book storyline Maximum Carnage is the basis for season 3’s six part mini-series. Season 4 Season 4 is considered by many as the best with several storylines showing the growing maturity of the series. A special episode (with the permission of Warner Bros.) allowed for an adaptation of the Batman/Spider-Man crossover comic book. The Six Forgotten Warriors story from the animated series was used for the six part mini-series and Peter as a father was highlighted. Season 5 Season 5 has a theme of loss and change; with the death of Aunt May, the final arrest and trial of Kingpin, the departure of Aaron Ashmore from the series and the clone saga coming to a climax. Jackal attempts to frame the Peter Parker clone for murder, but fails as the original Peter Parker comes to his aid. The “brothers” finally meet, with Peter assuming the identity of Ben Reilly and essentially giving his life to the Peter clone. A failed pilot for The Incredible Hulk was a highlight and the introduction of Spidercide who kills Spider-Man made for a cliffhanger worthy of the series. Season 6 The resurrection of Spider-Man (who really died) saw resurgence in the series after such a hectic season 5. Highlights include the return of Richard and Mary Parker, the crossover mini-series with spin-off Spider Force and several stand alone episodes written by a writing staff in their prime. It didn’t hurt that the Sam Raimi live action Spider-Man movie premiered at the end of the season and Spider-Mania was at a fever pitch. Season 7 Riding on the success of Sam Raimi’s live action Spider-Man film, season 7 was highlighted with the culmination of the Madame Web storyline and the adaptation of the Secret Wars miniseries. Tobey Maguire and Nicholas Hammond also guest starred on the show with a story that featured numerous Spider-Men from alternate dimensions coming together to stop an insane Peter Parker from destroying all reality. Season 8 The final season of Spider-Man basically tied up all loose ends in every storyline and saw each villain getting one last showdown with the titular hero. Often beaten and incarcerated as a result. The first episode resolved the “Hunter’s Betrayal” storyline and saw to a darker Spider-Man throughout the season as he sought out to defeat all past enemies and stop the cycle of violence. Unlike past seasons which would have episodes aired throughout the year with reruns, season 8 (following the success of 24) chose to air the first 4 episodes in September and then resumed the season uninterrupted from January to May. The series ends with Spider-Man changing places with Spider-Man 2099 and the two attempting to prevent the end of all reality. Cast and Characters The Amazing Spider-Man maintained an ensemble cast for each season along with numerous recurring guest stars. The first 5 seasons featured a principal cast of eight actors who received star billing. Surprisingly the series’ cast, despite being an American produced series to be aired primarily in the U.S., was almost entirely Canadian. A first in American television. (American born) Jamie Luner, (Scottish born) Colin Mochrie and (British born) Maurice Dean Wint were the only non-Canadians in the main cast. A large number of supporting cast members was equally Canadian, but several major recurring villain characters were played by American actors. The fifth season saw the departure of Aaron Ashmore to the spin-off series Spider-Force and the death of Aunt May played by Jackie Burroughs. Robbie Robertson played by Maurice Dean Wint was upgraded to a full cast member starting in Season 3. Jamie Luner wished to leave the show after six years, but was convinced to remain with agreement to more time off. To decrease her workload, Jamie Luner was changed from lead to recurring character in Seasons 7 & 8, but she maintained star billing throughout the series’ run. * Michael Dee as Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Season 1–8) : Peter (Piotr) Parker is the hero of the series. A young man of 25 years, he lives with his elderly Aunt, May Parker, in New York City, New York. A Graduate student at ESU (Empire State University), he was getting a degree in physics when the pet tarantula of Neil Matthews bit him and caused the miraculous change within him. His parents, ambassadors, were killed overseas in England when he was five in a plane crash. Peter was raised by his father's oldest brother, Ben and his wife May Parker. : Brilliant and socially gifted, he's a well-liked kid. His closest friend is Neil Matthews. Peter is tri-lingual, being able to speak English, French and Romanian. Peter is clever at solving puzzles and problems, designing electronic surveillance equipment as well as being a novice expert on the subject of genetic engineering. Foreshadowing the film series, though the spider was radioactive, the bite doesn’t merely grant Peter “powers” but alters his DNA. The reasoning behind his powers is that he’s mutated at a genetic level, with spinnerets in his arms, and tiny hairs on his hands and feet which allow him to scale walls. In the original format Peter was a Canadian, living in Vancouver hence the mixed heritage. His name was Peter Lubcynski and was of Romanian descent on his father’s side. Upon the change to the original canon, the name of Parker was re-assumed, the principal location of Vancouver B.C. turned into New York and the Romanian aspect was downplayed. * Jamie Luner as M.J. Watson (Season 1–6, recurring 7-8) : Mary Jane Watson, the Lois Lane-wannabe that lives, breathes and sleeps for the job. A reporter for ten of her 29 years, M.J. is a bright woman with a hard-ass attitude that always gets her the best jobs and best assignments. As well she has a habit of stumbling upon the best stories. The heroine of the series, M.J. is always in the thick of the danger and intrigue, usually relying on Spider-Man to help her out of a jam. : The original conception for the female lead was a reporter who would be the proverbial Lois Lane to the proverbial (Superman) Spider-Man. The original character name was Tabitha Jane Miller and upon the change in format, it was decided she would become the series’ equivalent to Mary Jane Watson. The reason behind the change in established norms for the character. * Aaron Ashmore as Neil Matthews (Season 1–5) : Neil Matthews is the best friend of Peter Parker and in the beginning, the only one who knows his secret identity. Born in Seattle, Neil went to ESU (Empire State University) by scholarship, an expert in most sciences, who graduates with top honours. Instead of returning home, he joins the staff of Long Ridge Industries as well as being the technical support for Spider-Man in his growing war against crime. Neil has a good family life, with no brothers or sisters but two loving parents. Neil feels a certain degree of responsibility to Peter since it was his pet tarantula, Betty, which got into his experiment involving DNA sequence caps and then bit Peter. While he doesn't feel guilt, he knows the complications in Peter's life is partially his fault and is quick to support him. : Another holdover from the original “Canadian” concept for the series. Neil was created to be a confidante and sidekick to the new Spider-Man. Though in the comic book Spider-Man was a notorious loner, the use of a sidekick was kept since it meant a major rewrite and casting for the role had already been completed. * Colin Mochrie as J. Jonah Jameson (Season 1–8) : J. Jonah Jameson is Editor-In-Chief for the Daily Bugle and a thirty year newspaper veteran. Known as “Jigsaw” Jameson in his early years for his ability to piece together the tough stories. Jameson is an idealist in a tough world with mutants, super-villains and the dangers this world has in store for mankind. He's not prejudicial to the Homo-Superiors in a general sense, but like with all people he can get upset when others are hurt in the violence that usually prevails. : In a departure to the comic book, in the beginning of the series Jameson is a supporter of Spider-Man, especially when he leaves show business to be a crime fighter. However that changes with the death of his only son Col. Jonathan Jameson, a U.S. airforce pilot. Upon this tragedy Jameson quickly turns on the hero, using the resources of the paper to wage a personal war. Though ironically Jameson admires Peter Parker for his work ethic and quickly forms a close bond with the boy, thinking of him as a son, upon the death of his own. To manage time between work and home he has put his faith in fellow, and former, reporter Robbie Robertson by making him his Managing-Editor. The two have a close personal friendship that goes back twenty years and he always trusts Robbie's judgement on most things. * Scott Bairstow as Sgt. Thomas Newman (Season 1-8) : Sgt. Thomas Newman is the partner of Kimbra Goldman, a tough cop from a family of cops. His father, his uncles and two of his three brothers. He's the second oldest of the four boys in a daughter-less family. Newman can be described as a Caucasian male, 37 years old. Big, like an ex-football player. Like all of his brothers. Newman is similar to his partner in most respects though he's less of a stringent on criminals and is more liberal in his views. Due to his father's problems with alcohol, the athletic teenage Newman vowed never to drink and has since never had one. : Another holdover from the original “Canadian” concept for the series. Newman was one of several background characters created to assist the new Spider-Man. In the comic book Spider-Man was a notorious loner, and the police were weary of the masked hero. In the series he is accepted by the police and comes in contact with Newman and Goldman the most. To excise the character at that point in the development would have meant a major rewrite of the entire series so Newman was left in. * Natalie Brown as Sgt. Kimbra Goldman (Season 1–8) : Sgt. Kimbra Goldman is an English born police officer who moved with her American mother to New York, at age 3, upon the divorce of her parents. A broken home, it was a little difficult on her growing up and she is estranged from her father who still resides in London. Kimbra's mother died when she was twenty. This was the last time she saw her father, at her mother's funeral, in the last eleven years. Kimbra joined the police force upon turning eighteen and rose in the ranks from patrol cop to vice and now to homicide. Kimbra can be described as beautiful. Raven haired, with no trace of an English accent. 31 years of age. Glasses on her nose. Surprisingly, she's the tougher one of the two, her partner being Thomas Newman. Kimbra is a valiant fighter and strong believer in law & order, especially in this lawless world of mutants, super-heroes and villains. : Goldman was one of several background characters created to assist the new Spider-Man. In the comic book Spider-Man was a notorious loner, and the police were weary of the masked hero. In the series he is accepted by the police and comes in contact with Newman and Goldman the most. To excise the character at that point in the development would have meant a major rewrite of the entire series so Goldman was left in. *'Maurice Dean Wint' as Robbie Robertson (Season 1–2, recurring, Season 3-8, starring) : Managing-Editor of the Daily Bugle and Jameson’s right hand. Robbie is compassionate, a strong family man and more than willing to give subordinates a chance to progress in their job. A secret supporter of Spider-Man, he’s always in conflict with Jameson over their representation of him and Wint was requested to play his part as if he suspected Peter was Spider-Man. * Jackie Burroughs as May Parker (Season 1–5) : May Parker is the Aunt and the last living relative of Peter Parker. May, at 65 years of age, is a woman of Romanian and English descent. A young woman when she met her only love Benjamin Parker, a U.S. Sergeant in World War II, who saved her from a Nazi concentration camp after the defeat of Hitler and Nazi Germany. The two quickly fell in love and Ben brought Ismay Valesca Odon back with him to America, in 1945, at which time they got married. Now May Parker, the young woman strove to be a perfect wife to Ben and took to the role rather easily. For 48 years they were happily married, having only a single child; their son William who sadly died shortly after his birth. Then she was given a second chance to be a mother when her brother-in-law Richard Parker, tragically died at age 36, with his wife Mary. Leaving their five year old son an orphan, May and Ben raised Peter since then and helped to mold him into a fine young man. Production Conception The original concept of The Amazing Spider-Man was to take the Spider-Man character and excise him from the Marvel Universe to avoid the costly live action film rights battle raging between Carolco and 20th Century Fox. With the help of his older brother, Jonathan Dee, Michael sold producer Avi Arad (who wanted to produce an action-oriented series based on a Marvel property) on the idea. In 1993, Marvel and Dee pitched the idea to all four of the networks, only the Fox Broadcasting Company was amenable but turned it down as FOX felt nervous about the long-term possibilities of such a special effects laden series, as well the legal issues involved. To help connect and cross-promote it with the more traditional animated series already in development, Michael utilized many of the writing staff to create a ten season writer’s bible which included the complete story arc for the entire show. As the film rights issues became resolved, FOX willingly agreed to air the series as a companion to the now successful animated series. With two requests; Make it a more traditional Spider-Man show, and find a way to make the visual effects realistic and cheap. Dee agreed, coming up with the idea of filming 100 FX shots (for a one-time cost) through ILM that could be interwoven throughout the series repeatedly. ILM delivered an initial ten CGI images of Spider-Man in action which could realistically be placed in most background shots. Enthusiastic at the images and the cost, FOX authorized the first order of 100 shots and 100 more shots after season 2. To keep the series fresh 150 additional shots were added after season 5 and 200 additional shots for season 7 & 8. Using an informal method of writing an entire season before filming would begin, the Producers could streamline episode’s exclusive effects and Dee quickly re-adapted the writer’s bible and initial season 1 scripts (those that were already written) and with the help of brother John, the series was finally greenlit. After the first season Dee worried to commit himself and others for so long a time and eliminated 2 of the seasons removing the weaker story ideas from the entire series. Filming All eight seasons of The Amazing Spider-Man were primarily filmed in Montreal, with location shoots in New York scheduled in 4 week blocks, twice a year. The initial setting for the series was to be in Vancouver, but with the reverting to the original Marvel storyline, it was decided to move shop to Montreal to better emulate New York City. The series was filmed at Parker Studios, a studio built for Spider-Man by Marvel Entertainment. It consisted of 2 mock downtown streets of Manhattan and the front offices for the Daily Bugle. An interior studio was built which would house sets for the Daily Bugles offices, the Parker Household (primarily for Season 1 and Season 2), and the Kingpin offices. ESU locations were filmed at local colleges and other locations were selected based on their requirements. Unlike most traditional TV shows at the time, it was decided to film Spider-Man during the months of April to November, to avoid the harsh Canadian winters. Dee had no desire to submit the cast and crew to the cold and all storylines were to incorporate reasons to avoid the winter at the ends of each season. He also stated publicly that “he was not going to freeze his ass off in that suit.” As a result of this unothrtodox shooting schedule numerous TV actors were available for guest spots as their own shows would be on summer break. The presence of Jonathan Dee as a producer also allowed for many A-list stars to make appearances. To help with availability for a guest star, a season’s scripts were written months in advance, allowing for whole blocks of footage to be filmed to work around the actor’s schedule. As was the case, continuity was never interrupted once in the series’ run. Music The theme music of The Amazing Spider-Man and the incidental music of each episode was composed by David Leon. The scores for the first two seasons is featured in the [[The Amazing Spider-Man: Original Television Soundtrack]], which was released on August 28, 2001. After the ending of the eight season of the show, on June 2, 2004 separate soundtrack discs were released for the third, fourth and fifth seasons. In 2006, season 6 was released on June 4. Soundtracks for season 7 and season 8 were released respectively on May 5, 2008 and June 19, 2010. In 2012, to coincide with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man, a special ten-disc collection called The Amazing Spider-Man TV Soundtrack Collection was released under the Intrada Label and supervised personally by David Leon and Michael Dee. Format The Amazing Spider-Man featured a serialized story structure, similar to other shows that would follow, such as his brother's shows 24, Lost, and Star Wars: The Jedi Path or Prison Break. After seven seasons, the The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Fox and Marvel would end the series with the eighth season with a two-hour movie in 2004. There was some speculation that a pre-determined end-date had been set for The Amazing Spider-Man, that was later confirmed by Michael Dee who announced that during the series’ conception all eight seasons had been pre-planned for both economical and narrative reasons. Each season would contain stand-alone episodes that always connected to the bigger picture. Certain story arcs could last for several years. There would be multiple two or three part stories throughout the series. Besides always ending in a cliffhanger, each season would have a six part storyline that usually had long standing ramifications in the series’ internal universe. Seasons 6 and 8 are the only seasons to not follow this pattern. Season 6 combined the six part saga with the fledgling Spider-Force series (each taking 3 parts a piece) and Season 8 as the final season focused on final battles and maintained only 2 or three part stories. As well each season would have a special two hour movie, a tradition formed by the staff when a story was written too long. The first being Season 1’s Tale of the Black Costume. The series used both original stories, plot lines from the 1994 animated series and ideas straight from the comic book itself, including Secret Wars and Maximum Carnage storylines. Aside from the minor differences based on the initial Canadian content, the show was surprisingly faithful to the source material. Despite individual property live action rights firmly in control of several rival studios, television rights remained primarily with Marvel Entertainment. Numerous Marvel super-heroes guest starred on “The Amazing Spider-Man”, including Captain America, Daredevil, The X-Men, Iron-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk to name a few. Those TV rights held by a rival company were often allowed as favors to the show and to John Dee who was an executive producer. The rogues’ gallery for the series was equally impressive, utilizing old classics such as the Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Rhino and Sandman, as well more modern villains; Venom, Carnage, Spidercide, Kaine and Hobgoblin. At the 2004 TV Critics Press Tour, John Dee told reporters that the series would end with the eighth season. Despite increasing ratings, (due in part of the 2002 & 2004 films) Dee attributed the cancellation to creativity: "The stories have just played out. You get to a point creatively where you feel all the stories have been told, and you want to end strong and give your hero the best possible exit.” Regarding the finale, John Dee stated, "My baby brother has a really cool ending, actually. I know where they end, and it's a hell of an idea." Spider-Force (Spin-off Series) On October 24, 2000, The Hollywood Reporter reported that a spin off series was under development, tentatively titled The Spider-Force. The series was to revolve around the Ben Reilly clone becoming the Scarlet-Spider and fighting crime in Miami with a team of genetically engineered “Spider” warriors and financed by Preston Harrad. Aaron Ashmore would be moved to this series as the armored “Iron-Spider.” Spider-Force proved successful and ran on FOX (at first) an hour after The Amazing Spider-Man and upon the end of the series' run; Spider-Force assumed its timeslot until that series itself concluded in 2007. Response Ratings and critical reception The following seasonal rankings are based on a weighted average total viewers per episode as recorded by Nielsen Media Research. The recording period begins in late September (the start of the U.S. network television season) and ends in late May. The show debuted on Sunday, September 15, 1996 to an estimated audience of 18.5 million viewers. Fox had not seen such success for any show up to that point. The two-hour Pilot Origin of a Spider was credited as two episodes by the network. The series premiere, the following Monday, September 16, 1996 had an estimated audience of 19.2 million viewers and was ranked first in both the 18-49 and 18-34 demographics. The strong debut performance was also matched by various positive reviews. According to The New York Times, The Amazing Spider-Man was "more intriguing than most of the new network series, and despite its origins as a popular comic book, it is one of the most original", complementing its ability to create a "suspenseful thriller", an elevated “comic book actioner” and its "authentic visuals". On the other hand, The Washington Post criticized the show for its "excited costumed pretentiousness" and "uniformly overwrought" performances. Due to its ratings success, Fox decided to extend The Amazing Spider-Man by an extra four episodes, making it the only new series in the 1996-1997 television season to receive a full season order of 26 episodes. Classification Despite its established storyline and setting, The Amazing Spider-Man's target audience was the 18–34 age group. The show contained adult content including violence, mild language, as well as sexual and drug references. Later years would see stories dealing with such issues as drug addiction, rape and adultery. Concerns were raised by the Parents Television Council in the United States about the time slot in which The Amazing Spider-Man was broadcasted (8:00 pm ET) since the show featured scenes with violent content. The series was given a TV-PG rating in both the United States and Canada. A similar rating is also used in other countries. The Amazing Spider-Man is rated MAPG in Australia and New Zealand, PGR in Chile, PG in Hong Kong, 18PL in Malaysia, 12 in The Netherlands, PG13V in South Africa, 12 in the United Kingdom for the DVD release, and a PS rating in the Republic of Ireland. In France, the broadcasting watchdog, Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA), also complained that the violence in some episodes exceeded the amount allowed for its rating, which is "not for under 10s". Under France's regulations, any higher ratings would move the show away from its current primetime timeslot to a later timeslot. However, their decision to change the rating will only affect the first season, which has already been broadcast, and not the preceding seasons. To keep the original timeslot, French broadcasters M6 used censorship on the most violent scenes for the first season and also produced a disclaimer before airing each episode in primetime. In Greece, the first season of the show was broadcast with the rating "Necessary Parental Advice", while all following seasons was broadcast with the rating "Optional Parental Advice", concerning the official classification of television programs in Greece for the protection of viewers. Awards and nominations Following a successful airing of the series' first thirteen episodes, The Amazing Spider-Man was nominated for its first award, the 1996 People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama. The series won the award in January 1997, beating other nominees in the same category, Commander in Chief and Criminal Minds. In January 1997, the show had two nominations at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards, which were Best Drama Television Series and Best Actor in a Drama Television Series for Michael Dee's performance. The show's lead actor, Michael Dee, received another nomination for his performance in the first season at the 1997 Saturn Awards for Best Actor on Television. Likewise, the series was nominated for 1997 Saturn Award for Best Network Television Series. At the 1997 Television Critics Association Awards, the show was nominated for Best New Drama Series. Nominations for technical awards include the 1997 Eddie Award for Best Edited One-Hour Series for Commercial Television (Mark Helfrich for the pilot episode), and the 1997 Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music (David Leon). In December 1997, Robert Knepper was nominated for the 1997 Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Distribution Television In Canada, The Amazing Spider-Man was broadcast on Global simultaneously as it aired on Fox, except in the Maritimes where it aired two hours before Fox's airing. The Amazing Spider-Man was the only new television series to be positioned in the top twenty television shows of 1996-1997 in Canada, achieving an average of 975,000 viewers in the key demographic of 18–49 and 3.4 million viewers nationally for its first season. The Amazing Spider-Man premiered on Australian television network Seven on February 1, 1996 to an average audience of 1.94 million. The first season attracted an overall average of 1.353 million viewers. Home media The DVD Disc sets of each season were released after their television broadcast and are available in various regions. At the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment announced that the complete first season of The Amazing Spider-Man was to be released on Blu-ray in early 2007. The release date was later announced to be November 13, 2007 and The Amazing Spider-Man became the first television show to be released on Blu-ray Disc by Fox. The Blu-ray box set contained six discs and includes all the DVD box set's special features. Seasons 2 through 8 were released sequentially one year apart after that. The final season, number eight, was released on September 14, 2014. Other media In printed media, the show's tie-in products include an official magazine and a book written in an in-universe perspective. The official magazine, published by Titan Publishing, was launched on November 21, 1996 and ran for eleven years until March 5, 2008. Each issue contained interviews with selected cast and crew members with other feature stories. The tie-in novel, The Amazing Spider-Man: The Neo-Genic Files (ISBN 1-4165-3845-3), contained details of the show's characters pertaining to the second season's storyline, “Neo-Genic Nightmare. Written by Paul Ruditis, the book is published by Simon & Schuster and was released on May 8, 1998. In September 2008, Insight Editions published [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933784660 The Amazing Spider-Man: Behind the Scenes], a companion book featuring production photography, in which writers Christian Trokey and Kalinda Vazquez, as well as Kathleen McCormick, Jonathan L. Dee, Avi Arad, Michael Dee, and Stan Lee and director of photography Fernando Arguelles comment on the show's eight-season run. A video game based on The Amazing Spider-Man for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 was released in February 2007. Titled The Amazing Spider-Man: The Secret Order it featured a voice cast of all the original main cast members including Michael Dee, Jamie Luner, Colin Mochrie, Scott Bairstow, Natalie Brown and Maurice Dean Wint. * Category:1990s American television series Category:1996 television series debuts Category:2004 American television series endings Category:Action television series Category:Fox network shows Category:Five television programmes Category:Sky One programmes Category:Serial drama television series Category:Television series by Fox Television Studios Category:Television shows set in Manhattan, New York Category:Television shows set in New York